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Melissa Lynn Garner-Nelson

June 16, 1966 ~ February 21, 2019 (age 52)

Obituary & Services

Tribute Wall

Obituary

To all our family, friends and acquaintances of Melissa. As many may already know my Wife, soul mate, best friend, and a truly gifted massage therapist, Melissa Lynn Garner-Nelson passed away peacefully, quietly and gently, with myself and dear friends by her side on Thursday February 21st, 2019. For those of you just now learning about this my apologies I have not been able to reach out to you personally.

Melissa was born June 16th, 1966, and throughout her life and the 32 years that she practiced massage therapy, she touched many people's lives bringing joy, healing and peace. To know her was to love her, she was so gregarious, outgoing, uplifting and a natural healer. Over 22 years of sharing my life with her I saw how she truly had a desire to help and heal people. Melissa truly did that for so many and it brought meaning to her life. As much as people brought joy to her life, she loved animals just as much. She loved to ride horses from a young age and during her childhood was a junior livestock judge. Throughout her life she has cared for and loved many cats, dogs and birds giving them the best of life that she could. If it was up to her we would have been living in a zoo. Life for Melissa was about experiences and she embraced them all. You couldn't leave her alone for 5 minutes without her making a new friend! When she was 20 her father went to Xinjin China on a job and she and siblings were able to go there and visit him. It was a trip she never forgot. She backpacked through Mexico after that, lived in the desert in Big Bend National park Texas and then Alaska. We met there in Anchorage in 1997 and moved to Texas in 2000 to be closer to her father. In 2001 Melissa and I were married in Beaverton Oregon where I grew up. Melissa never saw herself marrying anyone but she married me because she couldn't see us ever being apart. And I am truly thankful for that. In 2010 we decided to move to Colorado and made our home in Loveland.

As many know she lost her dearly loved dog Oly, and then another devastating loss when her father, a master machinist, Bob Garner passed away June 17th, 2017... and these were difficult times in her life. Her mother, Carol, brothers Nathan and Michael, sister Bobbi and niece Paige -- and all the family – are saddened by the loss of Melissa but rejoice in the fact that she lived, because that is what she would want us to do.

Melissa requested to be cremated, and her ashes will travel the world, to the many places she called home, and a few places she still wanted to go.

For those who wish to contribute memories or thoughts of her on the funeral home website (or on Facebook) for Dave and family to read, please do so. We will post the funeral home information as soon as we know it.

Melissa and I, as most of our family and friends can attest, lived our lives in the moment. We always knew that this day would come but unfortunately we did not expect it to happen like this. As such we had not prepared ourselves financially for this moment and I find myself overwhelmed by funeral costs and medical expenses. I reach out now to everyone and ask for your help. I have set up a gofundme to help me to cover some of Melissa's final wishes and expenses. I feel if enough people give a little then many of these expenses would be covered. The link to the gofundme is here (https://www.gofundme.com/help-us-honor-melissa039s-lastwishes&rcid=r01-155111572056-726796487682461e&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w).